This invention relates to an optical fiber fixing element and method of manufacturing same.
An optical fiber consists of a core serving as an optical waveguide, and a clad portion surrounding the core concentrically therewith, and a cover portion which covers the clad portion.
For the purpose of fixing an optical fiber of the above mentioned construction, it has been known to use a fixing element of the double tube construction type which comprises a capillary tube formed of a ceramic material, glass or the like and having an inner hole for receiving the clad portion of the optical fiber, the inner hole being flared at one end, and a protecting tube made of stainless steel or the like for receiving the cover portion of the optical fiber and fixing it therein which has an inner diameter about even with the outer diameter of the capillary tube and a larger length than the capillary tube, the capillary tube being fitted in the protecting tube.
An optical fiber fixing element is required to be of high precision in order to minimize possible loss of optical fiber due to connection, and insofar as optical fiber fixing elements of the double tube construction type are concerned, it is necessary that both the capillary tube and the protecting tube be fabricated with good precision. Therefore, such optical fiber fixing element is disadvantageous in that its parts are expensive to manufacture, and in that manufacture of the fixing element involves troublesome assembly work.